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In today's newsletter: From a drop in inflation, to Cameron's cancelled sojourn to Tirana. Now can Rishi Sunak persuade people that being back to normal' is enough? Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Poor Oliver Dowden. There he was, gearing up to launch a cheery campaign advising people to stockpile tinned meat and invest in a wind-up radio to better endure any future unforeseen entity upending our way of life" - and then the prime minister went ahead and announced one. Bulk buy the Spam while you can, folks: to everyone's surprise, there's an election coming, and it's no time to be answering the door.In six weeks' time, it'll all be over. Right now, the trickiest question for most people is why it's even started. To answer that, today's newsletter - put together with the help of Nimo Omer - will run you through what happened yesterday, beat by frenzied beat. Here are the headlines.Post Office scandal | The former chief executive Paula Vennells broke down in tears as she told a public inquiry that she had been misled by her staff about the safety of the prosecutions of branch operators. Vennells claimed she was unaware that people were being wrongly prosecuted or chased for missing funds and said: I was too trusting."Middle East | Ireland, Spain and Norway have announced they will formally recognise a Palestinian state. The three European governments made the announcements in a coordinated move that triggered an immediate response from Israel, which is recalling its ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo.Carer's allowance crisis | The government's spending watchdog is to investigate the growing scandal over carer benefits that has plunged tens of thousands of unpaid carers into debt after they unwittingly breached benefit rules. The National Audit Office said its intervention was triggered by public and political concerns over the mounting human and financial costs of overpayments.Grenfell fire | The bereaved and survivors of Grenfell Tower must wait until at least 2027 - a decade after the blaze that killed 72 people - before those suspected of being responsible for the disaster could face criminal trials, it has emerged. Families called the wait for charges for people to be held accountable unbearable".Art | At least 1,000 paintings that the artist Damien Hirst said were made in 2016" were created several years later, an investigation has found. In March, the Guardian revealed that several well-known formaldehyde sculptures made by pickling animals in 2017 were dated by Hirst's company to the 1990s. Continue reading...

Former NSW One Nation leader's barrister argues homophobic tweet may have hurt Alex Greenwich but it didn't wound his reputation'

Demos report come after two ministers publicised unverified claims about low-traffic neighbourhood schemesPoliticians should be subject to stricter rules on spreading disinformation or wild claims for which there is scant evidence, the thinktank Demos has urged, after senior members of the UK government repeated conspiracy theories on 15-minute cities.Parliament's ethics and standards watchdog should urgently review its requirements to ensure ministers were truthful and accurate in their communications on contentious issues, and avoid spreading disinformation that can polarise debate, the thinktank said in a report on low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). Continue reading...

Many hoped he would show global leadership - instead he pitched himself as pragmatic' and slowed the journey to net zeroEvery time a UK government minister is asked about the climate crisis, the answer is the same. We are the first major economy to halve emissions and have the most ambitious legally binding emissions targets in the world," is the response, or a variation on those words.It is true that since 1990 the UK has cut greenhouse gas emissions further and faster than any other major developed economy, while increasing the size of the economy. Emissions per capita are now lower than they have been since the mid-nineteenth century. Continue reading...

The struggling NHS, the climate crisis, education and childcare will be among the issues on voters' mindsRishi Sunak has sought to frame the Conservatives as the party of the future and one that can be trusted with the economy and national security.The prime minister, who once billed himself as the change candidate" and unsuccessfully tried to distance himself from years of Conservative rule, now claims his party's experience in government makes it more likely than Labour to have a secure plan for the future. Continue reading...

Ministers propose graduates could do several years' of NHS work or face repaying some training costsDental graduates in England could be forced to work in the NHS to help tackle the crisis in access that has left millions struggling to get their teeth repaired.Under the government's plan they would have to undertake NHS work for several years" after leaving university or face paying back some of the 200,000 cost of training them. Continue reading...

Polls show Labour more than 20 points ahead, an opposition lead usually only seen at exceptionally bad moments in a midterm

Australians are among 20 passengers from flight SQ321 being treated in ICU at Samitivej Srinakarin hospital in Bangkok

The 74-year-old actor says he was immediately sorry' after he shouted the N-word at Black people in a comedy club in 2006Seinfeld actor Michael Richards has addressed the racist outburst which effectively ended his career almost 20 years ago, saying he was immediately sorry" but that he's not looking for a comeback".The actor - who won three Emmys for his portrayal of Cosmo Kramer from 1989 to 1998 - has stayed largely out of the spotlight since 2006 when he was filmed yelling the N-word at a group of Black people who heckled him during a standup set at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. Continue reading...

With inflation, March quarter consumption fell more than 7% for 25- to 29-year-olds, while over-65s spent 11% more on travel compared with last year

Musician - the band's bassist during its most successful period - was house sitting for a friend in BelgiumCharlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the US pop-rock band Train, best known for their hits Drops of Jupiter and Meet Virginia, has died aged 58.Colin's sister Carolyn Stephens confirmed her brother's death to the Associated Press on Wednesday. He died after slipping and falling in the shower while house sitting for a friend in Brussels, Belgium, the celebrity website TMZ.com reported. Continue reading...

Visit by president intended to quell serious unrest over plans in Paris to expand voting eligibility to include more French nationals

Prime minister announces early summer election with date putting parties on campaign trail for six weeks

Rishi Sunak has announced a general election for Thursday 4 July. The Guardian's John Harris is joined by political editor Pippa Crerar and political correspondent Kiran Stacey to ask why now. And, what happens next ... Continue reading...

One patient airlifted to hospital and 12 taken by ambulance after collision near Culverstone GreenChildren are among those in hospital after being injured in a crash between a tractor and bus in Kent.The collision occurred on the A227 South Street near Culverstone Green in Meopham shortly before 3.30pm on Wednesday, Kent police said. Continue reading...

Centers for Disease Control notes high levels of virus in raw milk amid outbreak among cows, after Michigan dairy worker infectedA Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu - the second human case associated with an outbreak in US dairy cows, after a case emerged in Texas earlier this spring.The new patient had mild eye symptoms and has recovered, US and Michigan health officials said in announcing the case on Wednesday afternoon. The worker had been in contact with cows presumed to be infected, and the risk to the public remains low, officials said. Continue reading...

Staff brace for significant cuts as media company prepares to make moves to counter decline of print and slow advertising market

The polls show no sign of narrowing and insiders believe an IMF warning of a 30bn hole in the finances was weighing heavy

In lawsuit, voting machine firm Smartmatic alleges the outlet destroyed documents that were direct evidence of actual malice'The chief executive of Newsmax deleted text messages and the company allowed key employees to delete emails as part of an effort to conceal evidence the outlet knew it was broadcasting falsehoods about the 2020 election, lawyers for the voting machine company Smartmatic said in an acerbic court filing last week obtained by the Guardian.The allegations were made as part of a motion for sanctions in an ongoing defamation case Smartmatic filed against Newsmax for making false and outlandish claims about the company after the last presidential election. The case is planned to go to trial in September in Delaware superior court. Continue reading...

Legislation expected to be brought by end of 2025, with service for residents in place by mid-2027Jersey is to move ahead with allowing assisted dying for people with a terminal illness after a vote in its parliament on Wednesday.Legislation is expected to be brought before the island's states assembly by the end of 2025, and an assisted dying service for residents to be in place by mid-2027. Continue reading...

The deal won approval of 89% of voting shareholders, lining up Richard Branson for a 724m windfall from saleVirgin Money shareholders have voted in favour of a 2.9bn takeover by rival lender Nationwide Building Society, helping clear the path for the biggest UK banking deal since the financial crisis.Just over 89% of voting shareholders said yes to the deal at a general meeting on Wednesday, while nearly 11% rejected the move. The resolution required at least 75% backing to pass. Continue reading...

Street campaigners will welcome a July poll - and Rishi Sunak may be hoping for a Euro 2024 and Wimbledon feelgood factorSummer elections are hardly new - Theresa May crisscrossed the country claiming to be strong and stable" in June 2017, and Jeremy Corbyn celebrated cutting her majority by taking to the stage at Glastonbury.But the last time the UK went to the polls in July was the historic postwar election of 1945, two months after the celebrations of VE Day. Continue reading...

The Labour leader has mirrored Blair's highly cautious Ming vase' approach, and it has paid off so farKeir Starmer goes into the general election widely expected to emerge as prime minister, despite being roughly as personally popular as Ed Miliband was at the time of the 2015 election.Headline polls suggest Labour will win a convincing majority in July, with the party 20 points ahead, potentially enough for a landslide victory. Continue reading...

Find out who's up and who's down in the latest polls - and how many seats each party is likely to win in the next general election

Irish PM declares unequivocal support' for two-state solution, as Israel recalls ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and OsloIreland, Spain and Norway have announced they will formally recognise a Palestinian state on 28 May, triggering an immediate response from Israel, which said it would retaliate by recalling its ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo, and withholding vital funds from the Palestinian Authority.The three European governments made the long-awaited announcements in coordinated moves on Wednesday morning that they said were intended to support a two-state solution and foster peace in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Asked if he thinks former chief executive is genuinely sorry, Bates says: I wonder about these apologies, these are just words'Paula Vennells has made an opening statement at the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry where she apologised to the victims of the scandal and offered to stand outside the old Post Office of one of the victims with them to explain to people what happened and what they went through. She said she had been deeply affected by victim impact statements heard by the inquiry.She said:I would just like to say, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do this, how sorry I am for all that subpostmasters and their families and others who suffered as a result of all of the matters that the inquiry has been looking into for so long.I followed and listened to all of the human impact statements, and I was very affected by them. I remember listening to one subpostmaster whose name I noted, who said that he would like somebody to go and stand outside his old Post Office with him so he could tell them exactly what he'd been through. I would do that. Continue reading...

Australian firm says 31.11 a share is its final offer, but FTSE 100 miner agrees to enter talks with larger rivalAnglo American has rebuffed a third takeover attempt by BHP after the Australian company sweetened its offer in an attempt to create a global mining titan.BHP said it had submitted an increased and final" bid of 31.11 a share for Anglo, which values the FTSE 100 company at 38.6bn, earlier this week. Continue reading...

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei leads prayers in capital city days after death of Ebrahim Raisi and seven others in helicopter crashTens of thousands of Iranians attended the Tehran funeral of the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, whose death in a helicopter crash on a fog-shrouded mountain on Sunday has opened up a potentially volatile moment in Iranian politics.He died with seven others, including the foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who was hailed by Hamas on Wednesday as the minister for the resistance. Continue reading...

Prime minister says there will be a general election in the second half of the year' when asked at PMQsIn an interview with Sky News this morning, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, was asked if the UK would follow Ireland, Spain and Norway in formally recognising a Palestinian state. No, he replied. He told Sky:We have a long-standing position on this that we will be prepared to recognise the state of Palestine at the time that it most helps the peace process, and we will continue to keep that under review.We will continue to keep that under review. But our position is that this is not the right time to do it at the moment.Dubbed Sue's shit list" by one senior Labour official, it has been drawn up by the former civil servant to identify the most immediate problems Labour would face in office if it wins the election expected this year.Senior Labour officials said that any one of the areas on Gray's government risk register" could puncture a honeymoon period for a new administration led by Sir Keir Starmer. Continue reading...

Town of Greenfield battered by deadly twister with severe storms expected to hit large parts of US this weekMultiple people were killed by a tornado in Iowa on Tuesday, as severe storms threaten a large portion of the US later in the week.Sgt Alex Dinkla of Iowa state police confirmed the multiple fatalities in Greenfield, Iowa, during a briefing about the deadly storm, NBC News reported. Continue reading...

Greens accuse Alternative for Germany of being Putin's extended arm' after AfD's lead candidate in European parliamentary elections says he will step downTerry Reintke, a Green lead candidate in the European elections, has argued that despite Maximilian Krah's move to step down from the AfD's leadership board, Alternative for Germany is still extremist.One thing does not change: the AfD and its right-wing extremist friends are Putin's extended arm in the EP," she said. Continue reading...

Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store said there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition'Irish prime minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday that he expected other countries to join Ireland, Spain and Norway in recognising a Palestinian state in the coming weeks.Today, Ireland, Norway, and Spain are announcing that we recognise the state of Palestine," Harris said at a press conference, reports Reuters. Continue reading...

Sunak and Starmer pay tribute to South Thanet MP as he returns to chamber after sepsis ordealCraig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP who had his hands and feet amputated last year due to sepsis, has returned to the Commons chamber for the first time since his illness, receiving a standing ovation from fellow MPs as well as tributes from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.Mackinlay, the MP for South Thanet, who has said he will stand again for his seat, arrived just before prime minister's questions. Science and technology questions, which were taking place, paused while MPs stood to applaud him. Continue reading...

Party's latest controversy highlights growing divisions within European far-right and nationalist groups

Musician is on supervised release, and judge's reading will decide whether he is adequately attempting to re-enter society'The rapper BG is no longer at risk of a return to federal prison after performing alongside fellow artists with prior felony convictions while on supervised release from custody, according to prosecutors.But a federal judge is prepared to scrutinize every lyric the musician, whose legal name is Christopher Dorsey, has written since he got out of prison on gun charges to determine whether he is adequately attempting to re-enter society as a responsible, law-abiding citizen" - or whether his supervised release conditions should be tightened, according to new court filings. Continue reading...

University informs Home Office and withdraws sponsorship from those struggling with fees after drop in value of nairaNigerian students at a UK university say they are devastated after some were thrown off their course and ordered to leave the UK when they got behind on their fees because of a currency crash.Teesside University withdrew students who were struggling with their fees and informed the Home Office, after some students' savings were wiped out when the value of Nigeria's naira crashed. Continue reading...

Recognitions point to erosion of US ownership' of Israel-Palestine peace process and open route towards statehood

Antonovich died during a six-day retreat in NSW's northern rivers after he took a cocktail of alternative medicines'

Police say bodies at property in Radford had lain undiscovered for some timeThe bodies of two women have been found inside a house in Nottingham, with police saying they had lain undiscovered for some time.Nottinghamshire police said officers were called to a property in Radford, an inner-city area of Nottingham, at 11.04am on Tuesday after concerns were raised for the welfare of the occupants. Continue reading...

Neighbour tells NSW court of conversations with murder accused Justin Stein shortly before schoolgirl disappeared

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Independent NSW MP's office staff had to be taught how to handle suspicious mail amid a torrent of hate', his lawyer tells court

Authorities say strain of avian influenza detected at Meredith farm is H7N7, which has been detected in Australia before

Cardiac procedures at the Austin hospital paused after technical issue with cardiopulmonary bypass machinesCardiac surgery at one of Melbourne's busiest hospitals has been temporarily suspended due to a bypass equipment fault.Staff became aware of a technical issue involving a cardiopulmonary bypass machine at the Austin hospital in Melbourne's north-east on Friday, Austin Health confirmed. Continue reading...

The shadow treasurer suggests net migration cuts may be shallower than those stated by the opposition leader

In today's newsletter: Inside the government's plan to pay those affected by the contaminated blood scandal, and what else might be needed to bring victims closure Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. On Monday, after Sir Brian Langstaff's devastating report on the infected blood scandal was published, Rishi Sunak promised comprehensive compensation", and said: Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it."Yesterday, the government set out what that commitment would mean in practice, starting with an additional 210,000 interim payment for victims, with final payments expected before the end of the year that could rise to 2.7m for a single victim.Health | The number of people under 40 being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK has risen 39% in six years, fuelled by soaring obesity levels and cheap junk food. The Guardian previously revealed that ministers had been warned they were putting children and young people at risk of life-changing medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, because they had shelved policies to tackle obesity and junk food until 2025.Air transport | A British passenger has died and seven people have been critically injured after a flight from London to Singapore was hit by turbulence. Passengers on the Singapore Airlines plane told of a dramatic drop" that launched those not wearing a seatbelt into the cabin ceiling. Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old grandfather, is believed to have suffered a heart attack during the incident.Israel-Gaza war | Individual members of Israel's security forces are tipping off far-right activists and settlers about the location of aid trucks delivering vital supplies to Gaza, enabling the groups to block the convoys, according to multiple sources. The claim of collusion is supported by messages from online chat groups reviewed by the Guardian.UK news | A former Royal Marine commando who was charged with spying for the Hong Kong intelligence service has died in circumstances the police have described as unexplained". Matthew Trickett, 37, was found by a member of the public in a park near where he lived in Maidenhead, Berkshire.UK politics | The Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay has revealed that he had both his hands and feet amputated last year due to sepsis. Mackinlay, who plans to run again in his Kent constituency at the next election, credited his wife with saving his life after she insisted paramedics take him to hospital when he became violently ill last September. Continue reading...

Premillennialism advocate who has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges in Arizona allegedly posted videos saying family who killed officers were martyrs'An American man allegedly told the family who fatally shot two Australian police officers he sent his comfort and assurance" before they died in a gunfight with a tactical response team.United States prosecutors have unveiled new details about the December 2022 shootings at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, as part of their case against Arizona man Donald Day Jr. Continue reading...

Spotlight's scoop of the year nomination was revoked after court heard it paid former Liberal staffer's rent to secure interview

Open letter by Royal College of GPs says system fails to equitably distribute money and contributes to wider health inequalitiesMinisters must radically" reform the way GP funding is allocated across the country because it results in the poorest areas receiving inadequate healthcare, family doctors have warned.The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) wrote in an open letter that the Carr-Hill formula, which has been used to allocated core GP funding since 2004, is outdated as it does not equitably distribute funds and as a result has contributed to the widening of health inequalities across the country. Continue reading...